Variety Channel

August 20, 2010

Inside the World\'s Biggest Animal Rescue- Katrina!

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You probably heard that during the evacuations of New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina, many people had to leave their pets behind or they became separated from them along the way. What happened to these pets? Was anybody trying to rescue the animals and get them out of the abandoned homes in the weeks that followed the flooding? Hear the real life story of Karen O\'Toole, a film production coordinator who felt compelled to fly into the besieged area and volunteer to help stranded pets. The truth of the efforts and results of trying to save these animals by both the home owners who had to leave and the rescuing volunteers in New Orleans is heartbreaking, sobering and poses many questions. During this week\'s conversation with my guest, Karen O\'Toole, author of Orphans of Katrina , her experiences are hard to hear about but for all animal lovers, it\'s a story that has got to be told.



Photo by Tracy Kilpatrick

Episode Segments

Wild About Pets: Orphans of Katrina

Karen explains how she got involved with the animal rescue effort, how she was able to reach the city after the flooding, and the destruction she saw their. She tells us some heartbreaking tales of the early days of the rescue efforts, and how they were able to find the animals.



(photo by Nancy Cleveland)

Wild About Pets: Saving the Orphans of Katrina

Karen discusses the circumstances that led to so many pets being left behind, and the measures the owners took to try and keep their pets safe. She will also talk about the attitude other workers took towards the animal rescuers, the tough time they had rescuing cats, and what she has learned from her experiences in New Orleans.



(photo by Nancy Cleveland)

Links to Related Websites

Look While You Listen!

Click here to view the photos Susan and Karen are discussing. You\'ll also find other related links.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Karen O\'Toole

Karen O\'Toole was born in the Bronx and grew up in New York. She spent most of her life traveling around the world picking-up languages and speeding tickets. She is a member of the Writers\' Guild of America, and garnered the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences\' Nicholl Fellowship for screenwriting.




Karen’s Website.

Orphans of Katrina Website

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